


Emotionally Involved

by patroclusandachilles (echelonlove)



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: M/M, post Dennis' Double Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-10-31 22:38:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10908882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echelonlove/pseuds/patroclusandachilles
Summary: When Dennis moved to North Dakota, he moved there to be with his son.  But he also moved there to escape his newly found big feelings.  This is the story of his return.





	Emotionally Involved

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mxingno](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mxingno/gifts).



> Based on this prompt from mxingno:  
> "this is the inevitable post-finale prompt. how do you envisage Dennis coming back to Philadelphia? how long do you think it would take? what's Mac been up to in his absence? have they replaced him with a newer, less alarming model? (is it Rex.) and where are Mandy and Brian in all this? give me your take."
> 
> mxingno had such wonderful and deep prompts, this fic barely scratches a tenth of the justice they deserved. Thank you for the exciting writing challenge, mxingno!
> 
> Beta-ed by my brother whose favorite show in the whole world is IASIP and is also a good sport.

Dennis tapped his fingers anxiously against his arm rest. He was on his way home to Philadelphia. Finally. 

No one knew he was coming. In fact, he hadn’t kept in touch with anyone at home in an attempt to be fully present for his son, but it had hurt him, and he was horribly homesick. All he had in North Dakota was Mandy and Brian Jr., both of whom were not enough to fill the hole inside of him. He knew he could never be complete there. He longed to be back at the bar, scheming with Dee, yelling at Charlie, and joking around with Mac. 

He mostly just missed Mac. 

Mac, who had been his roommate for over fifteen years. Mac, who he had spent every day with since he had bought weed off of him for the first time. Mac, who was the only person in the world able to make his heart skip a beat with a simple smile. 

God, Dennis loved Mac. 

It was a realization he hadn’t come to until he had made the decision to be without Mac for a year and a half. He had been with guys before, so he knew he was bisexual, but he never allowed himself to love anyone, man or woman. He wasn’t comfortable with being that emotionally vulnerable around anyone else. 

But his emotional front collapsed two weeks before he made the final decision to leave North Dakota. He was lonely and emotionally exhausted from caring for his son constantly, and he just wanted to go home. He was in the shower when he started thinking about his old roommate and all the shit they would get up to. He started thinking about movie nights and monthly dinner dates and the way Mac looked at him when he opened the crate with the RPG. He missed Mac so much and it was too much for him. He slid down the shower wall and sat there, letting the water turn cold above him. 

Mandy had found him three hours later, sitting on the bathtub floor, staring at the wall and not really looking at anything while tears slipped down his face. Mandy turned off the water and wrapped him in a warm towel before sitting there with him for ten minutes until he came out of his daze. 

“Sorry,” he said. “Don’t know what came over me.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you miss him don’t you?”

“Miss who?” Dennis asked as he wiped at his face and attempted to rebuild his emotionless façade. 

“Your boyfriend back home.” As Dennis began to shake his head to tell her once again that they had just been pretending to be in a relationship to fool her, she interrupted him. “Don’t give me any of those excuses of yours, Dennis Reynolds. I’ve lived with you for over a year now. I know you. I hear you too. At night, when you’re dreaming and thrashing around from your nightmares, begging Mac to not be dead or to forgive you or to come back to you. This isn’t the place for you, is it? You love him. You belong with him.”

Dennis leaned his head against the shower wall. The nightmares were a nightly occurrence. He had tried to write them off as mere homesickness, but Mandy was right. He didn’t dream about the others, he didn’t think about the others while he was supposed to be thinking about his son. But most of all, he didn’t love the others. He loved Mac.

“I’m sorry,” is all he managed to croak out.

Mandy draped her arm around his shoulder. “No need, sweetie. I’ve been thinking about moving actually. How would you feel about us coming down to Philly with you? You can be with your friends and with Brian Jr. at the same time.”

Plans from there had moved quickly. Mandy had already applied to several medical schools in the Philadelphia area to get her nursing license, and she had just been waiting for the right moment to tell him. They packed everything up, sold everything Mandy wouldn’t need, and bought plane tickets. Mandy would stay in an apartment on campus with Brian Jr. which had been paid for by a full ride scholarship, and Dennis would watch Brian Jr. when she had classes.

On the plane, Dennis continued tapping on his armrest until Mandy placed her hand over his. “Only one more hour until we land. You’re almost home,” Mandy tried to reassure him.

“But what if they’ve moved on? What if they’ve replaced me? What if they’ve forgotten about me?” These were childish fears, Dennis knew that, but he couldn’t help but feel them. He wasn’t used to all of this emotion bubbling up in his chest and he was panicking a little. Trust his meds to finally knock his emotion loose when he was at his most anxious. 

Mandy squeezed his hand. “I’m sure he’ll be ecstatic to welcome you home.”

Dennis took a breath and closed his eyes, remembering the last time he had seen Mac’s face. The hurt and confusion in Mac’s eyes as Dennis turned to leave the bar was something he would never forgive himself for. “I hope it will be that easy.” 

After touching down at the airport and corralling all of their luggage, Dennis paid for Mandy’s cab and hugged his son goodbye. He’d be seeing him in a few days, but he still hated to see him go. Brian Jr. squeezed Dennis’ cheeks before squirming around and trying to get down. “Bye-bye Daddy,” he said as Mandy took him from Dennis. 

“Bye buddy,” Dennis told him. “I’ll see you soon.” Mandy waved at him from the back of the cab as they drove away. 

And just like that, Dennis was alone at the airport, only a short cab ride away from his old life and his old friends and Mac. 

The cab ride was more nerve-wracking than the plane. He was so close to facing Mac again and being able to touch him and be open about his feelings for the first time in his life. Dennis was terrified. After what seemed like hours, he was finally outside of Paddy’s Pub.

And then he was inside Paddy’s Pub.

And Mac was kissing some guy Dennis had never seen before.

And Dennis couldn’t breathe. 

“Dennis!” Charlie was the first to notice him standing there. He rushed over and hugged him. “Dude, you didn’t tell us you were coming to visit!” 

“Coming to stay,” Dennis managed to croak out as he cleared his throat and finally tore his eyes away from Mac. 

Dee cracked open a beer and brought it over to him. “As peaceful as it was without your smartass comments around here all the time, I’m glad you’re back, Dennis. Peaceful is boring.” She smiled at him and Dennis punched her playfully in the shoulder. 

“Whatever Dee, you missed me every day.” He moved with them over to the bar, where he filled them in on his and Mandy’s plans while steadfastly ignoring Mac in the corner booth. 

It didn’t take long for Mac to notice him. “Dennis!” He rushed over to the bar and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Dude, you’re back! I knew you would be. I was just telling Mark that it was only a matter of time.”

Dennis turned and grimaced at Mac. “Oh, is Mark your boyfriend?” 

“My…what?”

“The dude you were just making out with. Is he your boyfriend?” Dennis knew he sounded possessive and angry and that he had no right to be, but he couldn’t help it. Mac had loved him once, he was sure of it, and he had squandered that by running away at the first sign of romantic reciprocation. 

“Oh! No, he’s just a friend. I make out with my gay friends all the time now, dude.” Mac sat next to Dennis at the bar, laughing. 

“Oh.” Dennis felt some of his anger melting away and he closed his eyes briefly to will the rest down. Mac wasn’t his. Yet. “So you don’t have a boyfriend?”

“No. Why? You had someone in mind?” Mac leaned closer. In Dennis’ time away, it seemed that Mac had gotten much more comfortable with his sexuality. He would have never dared flirting this openly before. 

Dennis looked back at Mac’s friend and did not like the way he was looking at the two of them. It seemed he wasn’t the only one with a crush on Mac. You’re not getting him if I can help it, Dennis thought as he smirked at Mac. “Well, I’m back in town for good now. You still staying at our apartment?” 

“Yeah.”

“Still only one bed?”

Mac looked over Dennis’ shoulder and Dennis read hope and confusion in the expression he was shooting Charlie and Dee. “Ye-Yeah?”

“Good.” He grabbed Mac by the collar and pulled him closer. “Because I’ve got plans for you, if you’re up for it.”

Mac cleared his throat. “Up for what?”

“This.” Dennis’ stomach was tied in knots and his heart was pounding. He was ready to lay himself out there and be emotionally vulnerable for the first time in his life. “I love you.” 

Dennis waited as Mac open and closed his mouth uselessly. “I…um…,” was all Mac was able to push out. Dennis brought a hand up to cup Mac’s cheek. Mac smiled his crooked satisfied grin. “I love you too, Den.”

A sense of relief flooded Dennis’ body. He hadn’t been too late. He pulled Mac into him, sealing their words with a kiss. Mac leaned into him and Dennis couldn’t help but feel smug as he saw Mark slip out of the bar from the corner of his eye. Breaking off, he whispered for just Mac to hear, “I’m ready to be emotionally involved with you. Sorry it took me so long.”

“I’m just glad you’re finally home,” Mac told him before leaning back in.


End file.
